stardust to remember you by::
by youkai-no-hikari
Summary: gaara has acidently killed his one and only true freind. but she leaves him a little something to remember her by and reminds him that there is love in the world after all.


.::. _Stardust to remember you by_ .::.

_The casket closed over the pale figure. Her crystal blue hair tied in an elegant bun and a single white tiger lily tucked neatly behind her small ear. A graceful smile forever plastered on her lips. The same smile she wore in her murder. A smile gaara had grown to love. A smile that tugged relentlessly on his bitter heart. The coffin was lowered into the earth by thick ropes. Gaara turned on his heel to leave. He couldn't watch anymore of this. After all. It was his fault she was where she was today. His sister, temari, persistently told him it wasn't his fault. But it was. Gaara had killed the only person that ever freely gave him friendship. The only person that didn't see him as a demon, but as…well…gaara. His thrusted his hands in his pockets, fighting the tears he promised himself he would never shed. The black and white scarf the girl had made him what seemed like an eternity ago swayed rapidly in the dessert wind. Gaara watched the sand particles blow upward, gleaming in the afternoon sun. "Like stardust" she had told him once. The ghost of a reminiscing smile peeked at the corners of gaara's thin lips. Stardust. A word she had often said. It amazed him how she had changed his view of the simple compound word. Gaara pulled out a set of shining keys, fumbling with them for a moment before sticking the correct one inside the keyhole of his front door, closing it behind him. He stalked silently down the hallway, subconsciously counting the doors until he reached the fourth one at the end of the hallway, opening it without a second thought. He stood in the doorway for a moment, wondering why he had come to this room. It brought back so much memory. Beautiful memories he wanted to keep with him forever. He slowly reached behind him and closed the door. 'What now?' he questioned himself, standing once more in the empty silence. An idea sparked in his skull. His eyes brightened slightly at the sudden concept as he walked over to the desk that stood proudly beneath the window, opening the drawer tucked at its belly. This was her room. Gaara gaped wide-eyed at the filled drawer. He knew she had loved to write stories, but not this excessively. He snapped out of his trance, smirking in recollection of the first moment they had met._

Gaara's ears responded to the echo of distant, raspy breathing. He ignored it at first glance, letting the resonance fade once more out of ear-shot. It was probably an animal somewhere. A rebellious knot tugged at the back of his conscious. Was it his demon? No. if it was, bloodlust would fill him. Not this…other feeling. He stopped dead in his tracks. His companions took notice and halted as well.

"What's the matter gaara?" the tall, blonde female of the group asked, arching a gold brow. Gaara stood silent for a moment, not knowing what to say or do.

"I…I gotta take care of something. Wait here," I instructed, disappearing in a swirl of tan sand. He was steered by instinct now. He journeyed weightlessly among the sky grazing tree tops, looking for the source of the sound he had heard a moment earlier. He honestly didn't have a clue what exactly he was looking for. Once more, relying on his instincts. They've gotten him this far. By sheer luck, the branch beneath his hurrying feet snapped. Making him plunge to the soft earth below, but only to be saved be a floating cloud of sand emerging from the gravel of the forest under grove. He landed gracefully, his darkened eyes widening at the site before him.

A female form was lying bloody on the long grass. Her long, crystal blue hair lay about her, covering her thin face. Her breathing slowing by the second. The torn, dirty, royal purple kimono wrapped around her seemed brighter against her pale, peach tinted skin tone.

Gaara bent down, holding his breath unbeknownst to himself, brushing away the access strands of hair from her face. He let his breath out in a repressed sigh. Her face was almost completely hidden through a thick layer of dirt and blood.

The delicate pair of eyes fluttered open to the stark white ceiling. She scanned her memories for events of the previous night. Nothing. Her memory wiped clean like a drunk waking in his room and no recall of coming there in the first place. She sat up fully at, scrutinizing her surroundings. It appeared to be a bedroom of some kind. The creak of an opening door perked behind her. She turned her head sharply to the abruption. It was a boy about thirteen with messy scarlet hair and sea foam green eyes beneath thick black lines. He wore a white robe over a light blue one. A matching white obi tied around his thin waist.

"Glade you see you're finally awake," he greeted, sitting on the bed next to her in silence. The girl gulped. She was rather shy in situations like this. Awkward situations.

"W-what's your name?" she asked shakily. The boy cocked his head to the side in a puppy-like fashion. It was really rather…cute.

"Gaara. Gaara of the sand," he replied quietly "and you?"

"Kami. Kami kanji," she responded, smiling warmly.

Interesting how her name fit the thing she loved most: paper writing. That was the translation of her name. He slid his fingers past the many thick folders of stories she had written. He had read every single one of them. He loved her stories. Whether it be a thrilling horror or a soft romance, the scene always gripped him with such enthusiasm. Her "gift", he supposed. His fingers slipping down the familiar navy blue folders and organizers. But one lavender colored folder dared to be different, dared to stand out. Gaara stared at it puzzled. He lifted up the spine, just enough to see the red words inked on the front cover:

**Hoshi hokori sai Kara**

**It read. Strange. He had never seen this story before. Curious as a new born kitten he went straight to work. Finding a comfortable seat on the neatly fixed bed and flipping open the wallet to the ivory white pages. **

**"_Once upon a time, as many great stories go, there lived a poor farm boy. He worked hard day and night to retrieve the correct amount of money needed to make his daily bread. But alas, the poor boy lived hungry, giving his food to the needy and elderly. He lived with his small dog, Otto, which always stayed by his master's side at any cost. One day, a princess had come visiting the town. The poor boy fell in love at first site of her. But, evil would always have to have its say. The vile lord captured the princess and held her away high in the tower…….._" **

**Gaara read on for what seemed like hours. His eyes shifted across the page. His attention directed at the events, and nothing else. He had forgotten everything, immersed in the swirling of events. The twist and turns of the characters emotions, feeling them as if they were his own. He felt hot tears wrench at the back of his throat when the little dog, Otto, died. He felt the passion between the poor farmer boy and the princess. Sentimenting as the breathtaking adventure came to its hauling end. Gaara felt a slight twinge of disappointment as the words "the end" crept themselves on the page. But there was one more page. Hurriedly he turned to it. His eyes widened. Clear athwart the page was a small paragraph.**

**This story is dedicated to my dear friend, gaara.**

**In hopes that you will understand how precious your life truly is and know I always loved you.**

**So with this story I wish you a happy birthday and pray this will leave you some stardust to remember me by.**

**--love**

**Kanji**

**"gaara-kun!!!" the voice of his sister called "it's time to leave for the mission," she informed.**

**"Be right there," gaara grunted, hating being disturbed. He sat up sharply, reaching for the doorknob. But something held him back. That same feeling as when he had first met kanji. He looked at the paper strewn on the bed where he had sat and abandoned. He nodded to himself, plucking it from its awaiting spot and tucking it safely into his pocket. Maybe. If he held her stardust close to him, she would watch over him and bring him good luck. 'Thank you kanji-chan. You left me more then just stardust,' he thought, smiling for the first time in years. 'Thank you,'**

**Story written by; nnette Munoz**

**Character gaara from "naruto" by masashi kishimoto**

**Character kami kanji by deadly-wolf-howl**


End file.
